Wednesday, August 27, 2008

One More Time: Faith Leaders and People of Faith are Pro-Choice, Pro-Full Inclusion, and Pro-Sexual Justice

This story from the front page of Yahoo News by an AP reporter made me want to scream at the computer at 7:00 am this morning.

He reports that faith leaders at the Democratic convention are pressing the party on their positions on restricting abortion, school choice, and other such issues.

Not ONE pro-choice faith leader in Denver was interviewed for the article.

This is not just a matter of this one reporter's ignorance. The fact is that when I reviewed the list of people asked to speak at the various faith forums and caucuses being held at the Democratic convention only a few were clergy who have been outspoken for sexual justice. Many more have been open in their opposition to reproductive rights and marriage equality. Perhaps this reporter can't be blamed for not hearing other voices.

But, I am so tired of reading that "people of faith" or "faith leaders" don't support sexual justice or that if you believe abortion is a moral decision, it means you are anti-choice. SO, one more time:

There are millions of people of faith (and their faith leaders) who support sexual justice, the moral agency of women, abortion rights, family planning, sexuality education, full inclusion of LGBTQQI persons, and marriage equality. There are religious denominations, including Senator Obama's, that actively support these issues.

I am one of tens of thousands of religious leaders who are pro-faith, pro-family, pro-choice, pro-full inclusion, pro-marriage equality, pro-women's rights...and I believe with all my heart and being the words of the Religious Declaration: that "sexuality is God's life-giving and life-fulfilling gift" and that we all have the right and the obligation to celebrate our "sexuality with holiness and integrity."

So, to the AP writer and Yahoo news, yes, there are some people of faith at the convention promoting more conservative positions. But, I am willing to wage money that the majority of people of faith in Denver support sexual justice. What can we do to help you cover them?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Amen! I get really tired of the media focusing on the narrow definitions of who is a person of faith. The problem, of course, is that there are too few journalists out there with the religion savvy to know this. The only thing I know to do is to complain to the journalists' assigning editors and publishers, and to keep the message out by bypassing traditional media on blogs like this. But I join you in that scream. Drives me crazy.